Electric-current regulator.



No. 884,458. PATENTED APR. 14, 1908.

A. W. BEIGE.

ELECTRIC CURRENT REGULATOR.

T N 1 1L211 MAR. 20. I0 1905 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Witnesses. Inventsr.

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1' Attorr aeyh No; 884,458. PATENTED APR. 14, 1908.

q A. W. BRIGE.

ELECTRIC CURRENT REGULATOR.

P N PILED MAR. 20 190 AP OHIO 5 2 snnms snnm 2.,

Inventor.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF IC ARTHU W. BRIOE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ROCHESTER 'sURGroaL I APPLIANCE COMPANY, or ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC-CURRENT REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Iatented April 14, 190 8.

Application filed March 20, 1905. Serial no. 250,990.

To all whom it"moy concern:

Be it known that 1,.ARTHUR W. Baron, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Current Regulators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descri tion of the same, reference being bad to t 1e accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-m merals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to improvements in electric current regulators, and

more especially to those which are particularly adapted to reducing the current from any convenient source to the roper degree in order to enable the use of amps of very low capacity such as are used for medical purposes, and it is the purpose of my inven tion to provide a regulator of this kind which may be conveniently attached to an ordinary lamp socket, and which is capable of being mani ulated inthe most convenient manner in or er to obtain the various regulations of current without the necessity of changin any of the electrical connections, and whic is so constructed that the rheostat, or resist-v ance coil may be easilv formed and in operavtion will be reliable and durable.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain. improvements and combina tions of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of an. electric current regulator constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 show ing the interior of the device Fig. 4 is a erspective view of the impedance coil or r 1e0- stat removed from its casing; Fi s. 5 and 6 'tively which are preerably compose fiber, hard rubber or other suitable insulating material, the lower, end of the casi .being reduced in diameter and provided wit an insulating sleeve or bushing 4, the latter being internally screw threaded to receive the corres onding threaded sleeve 5 which is adapted to serve as a socket for an ordinary incandescent lamp base, and connected .to this sleeve 5 is a conductor 6 which leads to the central terminal 7 of the base 8, which is preferably of a similar construction to that, of an ordinary incandescent lam base, being provided with a screw threa ed sleeve 9 which. in the present instance is flanged and secured by the screws 10 to the and piece 2. I Between the end pieces or heads 2 and 3 of the casing is mounted a drum or core 11 which is preferably formed hollow and provided at its ends with the reduced port ons 12 and 13, and over these reduced portions are fitted the ends Met a swi ing yoke member 15, the latter being provi ed with a brush or contact member 16 which embodies in the present instance a substantially straight -rod havin its ends bent to enter a ertures 17 in the yo ein sucha manner t at itanay swing freely between the drum and the yoke,

a spring 18 being rovided for exerting a. force normally ten ing tohold the contact member in en agement with the drum.

If desired, the contact member 16 may be composed of a plurality of flexible plates or fingers to form a brush which will insure more perfect contact with the coil.

' On the periphery of the drum 11 is wound a coil of resistance wire of German silver or other material which is suitable for the purposes of a rheostat, and it is preferable to form this coil of one continuous wire which is wound spirally from end to end of the drum to form a helix. Bare wire may be advantageously em loyed for this purpose, in which case a i applied to'the periph'er of the drum, and suitablemeasures are ta en to secure the insulation of each convolution of the wire relatively to the adjacent one. Extending di agonally across the periphery of the drum is an outwardly 'projectin rib or ridge 19.0ver which the wireis woun and when the winding has been applied a Ortion of each convolution of the wire will he somewhat raised or elevated in such a manner that when the contact "member 16 is moved ircumferentially around the drum by a. swinging motion of the ayer of insulating material is yoke 15 it will form a contact with each 0011- i volution successively, starting at one end of the drum where the first convolution is 10- i cated and passing over uniformly to the last convolution of the coil.

- In the insulating end 2 are fitted the binding posts 20 and 21 which are employed as the terminals through which the regulated l current may be derived, the binding post 20" being connected by the conductor 22 to the last convolution at the lower end of the drum, and also to the conductor sleeve or socket 5, i and the binding 0st 21 is connected by the i conductor 23 to t ie sleeve 5), and through the screws 10 to the drum 1.1, the latter being connected to the first convolution of the coil. To the swinging yoke member 15 is attached a pin 24 which is preferably insnlated'therefrom b the sleeve 25, a pinion 26 being revolub y fitted over this pin and provided with a milled operating head 27. This pinion 26 is arranged to cooperate with the tootliedrack 28 which occupies a relatively fixed position on the casing, the operating head 27 being located at the exterior oi the l casing to enable it to be manipulated coiiveniently. This arrangement providesmcans whereby the swinging yoke 15 carrying the movable contact member 16 may be operated entirely from the outside of the casing,- lor it will be obvious that rotation of the head 27 will cause the pinion 26 to move 1 along the toothed rack 28 of the casing, and i conse uently cause an oscillatory motion of 5 the yo e 1.5 to which it is attached.

In order to employ a regulator ol this character for the purpose of reducing t he strength of a given current to a predetermined degree in order that extremely small lamps and other devices of coinpaiativcly low capacity may be employed on the circuit, i1 is simply necessary to insert the thrdhded member 5) into an ordinary incandescent lamp socket, g the outer portion ol this member serving as one terminal {or the current and the central i contact 7 serving as the other terminal, and within the lower socket 5 of the device is iiiserted a resistance of a known amount, an ordinary incandescent lamp 29 serving advantageously for this purpose. The conductors to which the lamp to be regulated is attached are then connected to the binding posts 20 and 21, respcciivcly, at which time the contact member 16 should rest upon the last or lowermost convolution of the coil so that the latter will be completely short circuited for it will be understood that thc' minimum amount of current will then be passing through the conducting wires of the 1 am i, and by manipulation of the operating hea 27 the movable contact 16 will be moved successively into contact with the convolutions of the coil, and by referring to I Fi 7 of the drawing it will be seen that this I wi l introduce in parallel with the small lamp circuit, certain convolutions of the coil, which acts, to vary the number of convolutions in the coil short circuited or shunted out above the contact member or brush, and

- this will cause a larger proportion of the current which is derived from the source, to flow through the circuit tor the regulated current, and as the amount oi resistance thus introduced is increased until it overbalances the resistance oi the small lamp and its connections, the amount of current passing through the portion of the coil which is thusinttoduced will be diminished and the .curriit passing through the'lainp which is to be regulatcd, will be correspondingly increased, and by continuing the operation of the lread 27, the contact it will be gradually moved over the various convolutions in the coil until it reaches a position where the resistance inserted in one side of the circuit will cause a current ol' the proper strength to ass through the lamp and produce a light of the desired brilliancy. This can be readily seen in the diagram, Fig. 7, [or the current entering through the central contact 7 will pass along the conductor (5 to the central contact (3 which bears upon the central terminal in the resistance lamp 3%), and passiiwthrough 1 the filament thereof and through tlie base 5,

traverses the conductor 22, and as the latter is connected to the coil and to the binding post 20, the current will be divided a portion turning through the coil which is in series in the main circuit, and through the yoke l5 I and the outer contact member 9 to the main conductors ot the source oi supply, the other circuit being through the binding post 20 to the conductor 30 and through the lamp, returning by the conductor 31 and the binding post 21, the latter being also connected to the terminal 2).

An arrangement of this kind renders it possible to use lamps oi other devices of varying capacities without the necessity of changing the connections or substituting separate resistances, or other parts, as the coil is of a sullicicnt resistance to overbalaiice that of most lamps which are ordinarily used, and the regulation may be readily secured by n'opcrly manipulating the operating incinlltl' 27 which is conveniently located on the cxicrior of the casing. Moreover, the man nor in which the-resistance wire is wound upon the drum to form the diagonal or spiral ridge to enable the movable contact member In to close the circuii successively with the various convolutions of the coil, is a particularly advantageous one, for it will be undernally of the convolutions of the coil instead of transversely thereto, and this causes the contact member to gradually pass 'from one convolution to the adjacent one without interrupting the" circuit through the coil..

A device of this character embodying my improvements may be constructed at a reasonable cost, and n operation may be readily applied and manipulated, and owing to its comparatively simple construction, and the manner in which the contacts are made, it will be'reliable when em loyed within the limits of its capacity, it being understood that the resistances and other parts may be varied in order, to enable the device to be emplo ed u on circuits of different volta es, am it wi also be understood of course, t at the resistance lamip 29 may be changed, so that others of dif substituted in order to obtain different strengths of current from the source of supply without altering other parts of the device.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an electric current regulator, the combination with a drum or support having a coil of conducting material wound thereon, the latter being provided with a series of contact surfaces arranged on the periphery of the drum, of a pivoted member mounted to move circumferentially of the drum and ayieldin ly-operated contact member on the pivote member and arranged to cooperate with the contact surfaces of the coil.

2,. In an electric current regulator, the combination with a drum or support having a coil of conducting material wound thereon, the latter being provided with a series of contact surfaces arranged on the periphery of the drum, of a swinging member pivoted to the drum and arranged to move in a path circumferentially thereof, 'and a spring-operated contact member carried by the swln ing member and adapted to cooperate wit the contacts of the coil.

3. In an electric current regulator, the combination with a drum or support, and a coil of resistance wire wound thereon having a series of contact surfaces, of a swinging member capable of moving in a direction circumferentially of the drum, and a pivoted, gieldingly operated contact member carried y the swinging member and arran ed to cooperate with the contacts of the coi 4. In an electric current regulator, the combinationwith a drum or support} and a coil ofresistance wire Wound thereon having a series of contact surfaces arranged across erent resistance may be.

the eriphery of the drum, te swinging mem er capableof moving in adirection cit-- cumferentiallyof the-drum, and a contact member pivoted on the swinging member and having a spring for causing it to cooperate with the contacts of the coi 5. In an electric current re ulator, the

combination with a casing, an a drum or support inclosed therein and havin a coil of resistance'wire wound thereon, the atter be-- ing provided with a series of contacts, of a swinging arm capable of moving in a path circumferentially of the drum, a contact member carried thereb and an operating member connected to t e swinging member with a relatively fixed reckon the casing to enable the swinging member to be operated by manipulation of the operating member.

6. In an electric current regulator, adrum,

and having, a pinion thereon cooperating I a coil of resistance wire arranged thereon having aseries of contact surfaces, a swinging member capableof moving in a path circumferentially of the drum; a contact carried thereby for cooperation with the contact surfaces, a fixed rack arran ed about the drum, and a manuallyoperab e pinion rotatably connected'to the. swingingmember and enrgaging the rack to'movethe contact on the swmgin members."

,7. A evice for regulating currents coniprising a casing, a f drum 'within the casing aving reduced ends, a coil of resistance wire arranged thereon having a series of contact surfaces, a swinging yoke member having its ends fitted over the reduced ends of the drum and carrying a contact for cooperation with the contact surfaces, and means operable fromthe exterior of the casing 'for swinging the yoke member to cause the contact to engage the contact surfaces.

8. A device for regulating currents com prising a casing, a drum within the casing aving reduced ends, a coil of resistance wire arranged thereon having-a series of contact surfaces, a swinging yoke member having its ends fitted over the reduced ends of the drum and carrying a contact for cooperation with the contact surfaces, and means operable from the exterior of the casing for swinging the yoke member to cause the contact to co operate with the contact surfaces, said means comprising a pinion journaled on the yoke, a wheel connected-to the pinion and arranged on the exterior ofvthe casing, and a rack ,on

the casing.

IQO

bar carried also therewith, and'havin econtact electrically connected to one of t contacts of the base, a pair of binding sts. one electrically connected with I the ot er base contact and the other electrically connectedto the other socket 'rnembercontact, and a variable resistance within thecasing having electrical connection with the last mentioned binding post and socket member contact.

10. A device for regulating currents comprising a base, a socket member having one of its contacts electrically connected witha contact of the base, a pair of binding pos'tsy one electrically connected with one of the contacts of the base and the other electrically connected with one of the contacts of the socket member, and a variable resistance also connecting said contact and binding post.

11. A device for regulating currents comprising a casing, insulators at the ends of the casing, a base secured to one insulator, a socket member secured to the other insulator, binding posts suitably carried by the device, and a variable resistance arranged within the casing and adapted to regulate the current passing to a device connected to the binding posts.

12. A device for regulating currents comprising a drum, insulators connected to the opposite ends of the drum, a base secured to one insulator, a socket member secured to the other insulator and having one of its contacts electrically connected to a base contact, a pair of binding posts carried b the device, one being electrically connecte to a contact of the base and the other being electrically connected to a contact of the socket member, a resistance wire wound about the drum and having a series of contacts, a swinging member carrying contact to cooperate with the contacts of the resistance, a casing surrounding the drum and the swinging member, and means for operatin the swinging member from the outside of 516 casing to cause coo eration between the contact thereon with t 1e series of contacts on the resist- ARTHUR W. BRICE.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE A. BATEMAN, .WALTER B. PAYNE. 

